About Piga Fernández
Piga Fernández, Santiago, Chile, is a Global Relations Consultant since 2009 for the Life Raft Group , a GIST Patient Organization. She founded and is the Executive Director of Fundación GIST Chile, a nonprofit organization dedicated to support GIST and other gastrointestinal patients through education, information, emotional support and advocacy, with the goal of having them experience a better quality of life. Additionally, She is also the Coordinator of Alianza GIST, a consortium of GIST groups in Latin America. Her advocacy efforts in Chile have led to important changes in her country, impacting both legislative change and raising awareness for rare diseases.
A GIST patient who was diagnosed incorrectly in 1995 with leiomyosarcoma, she understands the importance of correct diagnosis and access to treatment. She plays an integral role in working with our international patients, to assure they receive the quality of care necessary to survive and thrive.